EU delays Mercosur trade deal until January amid farmer protests and opposition from France and Italy.

The European Union has delayed a massive free-trade deal with South American countries amid protests by EU farmers and as last-minute opposition by France and Italy threatened to derail the agreement.

European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho confirmed on Thursday that the signing of the trade pact between the EU and South American bloc Mercosur will be postponed until January, further delaying a deal that had taken some 25 years to negotiate.

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Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was expected to travel to Brazil on Saturday to sign the deal, but needed the backing of a broad majority of EU members to do so.

The Associated Press news agency reported that an agreement to delay was reached between von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – who spoke at an EU summit on Thursday – on the condition that Italy would vote in favour of the agreement in January.

French President Emmanuel Macron had also pushed back against the deal as he arrived for Thursday’s summit in Brussels, calling for further concessions and more discussions in January.

Macron said he has been in discussions with Italian, Polish, Belgian, Austrian and Irish colleagues, among others, about delaying the signing.

“Farmers already face an enormous amount of challenges,″ the French leader said.

The trade pact with Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay would be the EU’s largest in terms of tariff cuts.

But critics of the deal, notably France and Italy, fear an influx of cheap commodities that could hurt European farmers, while Germany, Spain and Nordic countries say it will boost exports hit by United States tariffs and reduce reliance on China by securing access to key minerals.

Brazil’s President Lula says Italy’s PM Meloni asked for ‘patience’

The EU-Mercosur agreement would create the world’s biggest free-trade area and help the 27-nation European bloc to export more vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits to Latin America at a time of global trade tensions.

Al Jazeera’s Dominic Kane, reporting from Berlin, said Germany, Spain and the Nordic countries were “all lobbying hard in favour of this deal”. But ranged against them were the French and Italian governments because of concerns in their powerful farming sectors.

“Their worry being that their products, such as poultry and beef, could be undercut by far cheaper imports from the Mercosur countries,” Kane said.

“So no signing in December. The suggestion being maybe there will be a signing in mid-January,” he added.

“But there must now be a question about what might happen between now and mid-January, given the powerful forces ranged against each other in this debate,” he added.

Farmers wear gas masks at the Place du Luxembourg near the European Parliament, during a farmers’ protest on December 18, 2025 [Nicolas Tucat/AFP]

Mercosur nations were notified of the move, a European Commission spokeswoman said, and while initially reacting with a now-or-never ultimatum to its EU partners, Brazil opened the door on Thursday to delaying the deal’s signature to allow time to win over the holdouts.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Italy’s Meloni had asked him for “patience” and had indicated that Italy would eventually be ready for the agreement.

The decision to delay also came hours after farmers in tractors blocked roads and set off fireworks in Brussels to protest the deal, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannon.

Protesting farmers – some travelling to the Belgian capital from as far away as Spain and Poland – brought potatoes and eggs to throw and waged a furious back-and-forth with police while demonstrators burned tyres and a faux wooden coffin bearing the word “agriculture”.

The European Parliament evacuated some staff due to damage caused by protesters.

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The Australian government has announced a gun buyback scheme in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack – its deadliest mass shooting in decades.

The scheme is the largest since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, which left 35 people dead and prompted Australia to introduce world-leading gun control measures.

Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured on Sunday when two gunmen, believed to have been motivated by “Islamic State ideology”, opened fire on a Jewish festival at the country’s most iconic beach.

On Friday, police also said there was no ongoing reason to detain a group of men who were arrested in Sydney over their “extremist Islamic ideology”.

Police allege Sunday’s attack, which they have declared a terrorist incident, was committed by a father-son duo. Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. His father Sajid was killed during the attack.

The day after the shooting, national cabinet – which includes representatives from the federal government and leaders from all states and territories – agreed to tighten gun controls.

Speaking to media on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there are now more than 4 million firearms in Australia – more than at the time of the Port Arthur massacre.

“We know that one of these terrorists held a firearm licence and had six guns, in spite of living in the middle of Sydney’s suburbs… There’s no reason why someone in that situation needed that many guns.

“We need to get more guns off our streets.”

The new scheme will purchase surplus, newly banned and illegal firearms, he said, and will be funded on a 50-50 basis with the states and territories. They estimate hundreds of thousands of firearms will be collected and destroyed.

National cabinet has also agreed to impose limits on the number of firearms held by any one individual, restrict open-ended firearms licensing and the types of guns that are legal and make Australian citizenship a condition of holding a firearm licence.

Work on a national firearms register will be accelerated and firearm regulators will have better access to criminal intelligence.

On Friday, New South Wales Police said they were preparing to release seven men with extremist ideology, but that they would continue to be monitored.

Tactical officers swarmed on the group, who had travelled from Victoria and were known to police there, in dramatic scenes in the suburb of Liverpool on Thursday. Officers found a knife, but no guns or other weapons.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference there is “no confirmed link” between the alleged terrorists and the detained group, but that Bondi Beach was one of several locations the latter was intending to visit.

“Whilst this specific threat posed by the males is unknown, I can say that the potential [for] a violent offence being committed was such that we were not prepared to tolerate the risk,” Commissioner Lanyon said.

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12/18/2025December 18, 2025

What is Euroclear and why is seizing assets it holds contentious?

Euroclear is a central securities depository (CSD) that holds assets like stocks and bonds, and helps facilitate their trade and payment across borders and in different currencies. 

These financial instruments, sometimes referred to colloquially as “banks for banks,” underpin modern trading, not least of the securities used to fund borrowing by governments.

The Euroclear Bank in Belgium is its specific International Central Securities Depository (ICSD), responsible for handling cross-border non-domestic trade across the continent, as opposed to its national CSDs handling domestic trade in several countries. As such, it handles Russian assets.

According to Euroclear’s website, Euroclear Bank is “the premier provider of settlement and related securities services for cross-border transactions involving domestic and international bonds, equities, derivatives and investment funds.” 

Euroclear also describes itself as “strictly risk averse.” 

Belgium’s specific criticism of the plan to seize Russian central bank assets held by Euroclear is rooted in large part in liability concerns, with the country concerned it could be rendered legally liable for Russian investments all across Europe because of Euroclear Bank’s seat being located in Brussels. 

‘It’s not our money to give away’

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The more broad warning voiced by some other governments and even the European Central Bank pertains to global confidence in investing in Europe. Countries like the Gulf states and China, which have small debt burdens and large international investment portfolios, hold large quantities of Eurobonds underpinning European government borrowing.

Falling confidence in these bond yields, or in the legal security of the funds, could lead to higher interest rates for national debt. This would cause pressure on government spending akin to the stress that threatened to bankrupt eurozone members like Greece and Italy and Portugal in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.

So far, however, economists like Olena Havrylchyk say that the immobilization of Russian assets and recent discussions of giving them to Ukraine by some mechanism have not led to an increase in eurozone sovereign bond yields, despite the vocal critcism from Moscow and lawsuits launched by Russia’s central bank.

EU leaders debate ‘Ukraine Reparations Loan’ in Brussels

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has continued to troll Donald Trump after the president’s eyes were seen drooping during an afternoon event with the press at the White House.

Trump signed an executive order Thursday to reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification, which would allow more research into the drug and perhaps expand its medical uses. The recreational use of marijuana is still banned at the federal level.

“We have people begging for me to do this. People who are in great pain,” Trump said at a signing ceremony in the Oval Office accompanied by medical professionals in white coats.

During the event, Trump appeared to drift off while sitting at the Resolute Desk, giving Newsom an opportunity to poke fun at the president.

“NAP TIME FOR THE BIG GUY,” Newsom’s press team wrote on X Thursday afternoon.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has continued to troll Donald Trump after the president’s eyes were seen drooping during an afternoon event with the press (REUTERS)

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“NAP TIME FOR THE BIG GUY,” Newsom’s press team wrote on X Thursday afternoon (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The press team followed up with another jab: “SEND IN THE ADULTS!!! GRANDPA IS TIRED.”

Referencing the professionals in white coats at the signing ceremony, the press team joked, “Is Trump finally getting the medical attention he needs?”

Democratic influencer Harry Sisson also commented on Trump’s health, writing, “Trump falling asleep in the Oval Office again while an event is taking place. It’s so obvious to everyone that this guy is not well. 25th Amendment now,” referring to the section of the Constitution regarding the vice president succeeding the president in the case of their removal.

Trump also appeared to doze off at a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the president was “listening attentively.”

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Trump also recently appeared to fall asleep at a Cabinet meeting open to the press (Getty Images)

Newsom, who has been trolling Trump online for months as he pushes back against his agenda, also made fun of the president following his Cabinet meeting with an edited image of the “Presidential Walk of Fatigue.”

The X post riffed off the so-called Presidential Walk of Fame in the White House’s West Wing, but instead of photos, or an autopen signature, of past presidents, it was pictures of Trump with his eyes closed.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

Trump’s health has been a point of concern recently, with The New York Times claiming the 79-year-old’s “vigor” has “declined in recent months.”

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Trump’s health has been a point of concern recently, with photos showing bruising on his hand (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The NYT also found that Trump’s official appearances have decreased nearly 40 percent and they are starting later in the day during his second term.

The president had scheduled a press event Thursday evening at 6 p.m. for the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act, but 30 minutes after it was supposed to start, it was announced there would be no public signing of the bill.

Trump has also been seen in public with bruising on his hands, which is typically covered with makeup. The White House has said it’s from constant handshaking and taking aspirin.

The president has baselessly accused the NYT of “seditious, perhaps even treasonous” behavior for its reporting and said, “I work very hard, probably harder than I have ever worked before.”

Trump has also said that he got “PERFECT Marks” on his medical examinations, which included an MRI scan for his cardiovascular system and abdomen in October.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Josh Richards is reminiscing about his time as a host of the BFFs Podcast with “best friend” Brianna LaPaglia
• Just two months after announcing the end of the popular Barstool Sports podcast, the content creator chatted with PEOPLE on the TikTok Awards red carpet about his friendship with his former co-host
• “She’ll always be like an older sister to me,” Richards says

Josh Richards is reflecting on his friendship with Brianna LaPaglia, just two months after their BFFs Podcast officially ended for good.

Back in October, the duo announced that their podcast would be officially ending five years after it first began.

“BFFs ending. I thought we talked about this, did we not?” LaPaglia said on the Oct. 16 episode.

“Yeah we have, multiple times,” Richards replied. “Every time we say we’re ending people are like ‘What?!’ ”

Chatting with PEOPLE at the TikTok Awards, just two months after the official end of BFFs, Richards, 23, says that, despite no longer co-hosting the podcast alongside LaPaglia, she’s still “one of my best friends and will be for life.”

Brianna LaPaglia and Josh Richards.

Cindy Ord/Getty

Of working on BFFs with LaPaglia, Richards also says, “It was so amazing getting to have a female counterpart that was able to tell me, once in a while, ‘Hey, you’re thinking like a guy right now,’ ” he laughs. “I think that was helpful.”

“It gave me a little bit of insight on life,” Richards says. She’ll always be like an older sister to me. I loved working with Bri.”

Speaking with TikTok at the award show, Richards also spoke a little about his journey into being a content creator, offering up advice for those looking to follow a similar career path.

“I always like to say, find your niche,” he said. “I think it’s important to have fun when you’re making content. How do you expect people to have fun watching your content if you didn’t have fun making it?”

The end of the podcast came months after Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy left his co-hosting duties, leaving the duo at the helm.

Josh Richards.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Portnoy 47, started the podcast with Richards in 2020, while LaPaglia — who was already hosting her podcast PlanBri Uncut — joined them later that year.

“Yeah. It’s definitely gonna be a new pod,” LaPaglia said of Portnoy leaving on the Nov. 14, 2024, episode. Richards added that he and LaPaglia would be in person “much more” than before and would likely have more guests in future episodes.

During her own podcast, Plan Bri Uncut, which she previously co-hosted with Grace O’Malley, LaPaglia spoke about her decision to join the BFF’s Podcast. 

“[The show] was missing a third person and they kept bringing employees in from the [Barstool] office,” she said in 2023, adding that they were testing how well she worked with Richards and Portnoy. LaPaglia also recalled that being on the show was “the scariest and craziest thing” she’s ever done.

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Keir Starmer was tonight accused of ‘running scared of the voters’ as he paved the way to cancel elections across the country.

In an extraordinary move, Labour invited 63 councils to postpone next year’s local elections, which are widely seen as a litmus test for Sir Keir’s faltering leadership.

The move would rob more than 10million people of a vote in May. And with half the councils involved run by Labour, it could limit the party’s losses and boost Sir Keir’s chances of survival.

In some areas, the elections are being postponed for a second consecutive year, meaning councillors could go seven years before finally facing the voters. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened the move to the actions of a ‘dictator’, adding: ‘Only a banana republic bans elections, that’s what we have under Starmer.’ Fellow Reform MP Lee Anderson said the Prime Minister was ‘frit’.

Tory elections spokesman Sir James Cleverly said Labour was ‘running scared of the voters’, adding: ‘They thought they could completely overhaul local government and stack the deck in their favour. They were wrong.

‘Earlier this month, Labour cancelled mayoral elections and now they are at it again with council elections, fiddling the democratic process to serve their own political interests.’

Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘Even during the pandemic elections were not cancelled for a second year running. Slashing jury trials. Cancelling elections. These are the hallmarks of a Government that doesn’t trust the people.’

Richard Wright, chairman of the District Councils Network, said the normal four-year election cycle ‘should be broken only in the most exceptional circumstances’. He added: ‘This has the potential to undermine faith in our cherished local democracy.’ 

Keir Starmer was tonight accused of ‘running scared of the voters’ as he paved the way to cancel elections across the country

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened the move to the actions of a ‘dictator’, adding: ‘Only a banana republic bans elections

Analysis of the 63 councils involved reveals that half are run by Labour, either directly or in coalition. Eleven of the councils are run by the Conservatives, and 13 by the Lib Dems.

Reform does not hold any of the affected councils but was looking to make deep inroads against Labour and the Tories in May.

Allies of Sir Keir fear he could face a leadership coup within days of the elections if the results are as bad as polls suggest. It also emerged he was planning to schedule the King’s Speech for the week after the poll in the hope that potential rivals will not risk embarrassing the monarch by moving against him.

It follows a series of other proposals branded authoritarian by critics, such as scrapping jury trials for many offences and introducing digital ID cards.

The PM’s spokesman defended the move, saying councils were struggling to cope with elections at the same time as a massive reorganisation of local government started by Labour last year.

Dozens of councils are set to be abolished or merged as part of a push towards more unitary authorities. Local government minister Alison McGovern told MPs: ‘Many councils across the country, and of all stripes, have expressed… concerns about the time and energy spent managing elections to bodies that won’t shortly exist, only to run an election a year later.’

Ms McGovern said ministers were ‘minded’ to cancel elections wherever local authorities said they might put pressure on time and resources. She added: ‘To be clear, should a council say that they have no reason to delay their elections, there will be no delay.’

The decision to cancel elections for a second year in places such as Essex comes despite a warning from the Electoral Commission that they should not be postponed for more than 12 months. 

Conservative justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘Even during the pandemic elections were not cancelled for a second year running. Slashing jury trials. Cancelling elections. These are the hallmarks of a Government that doesn’t trust the people’

Local government minister Alison McGovern defended the delay she told MPs: ‘Many councils across the country, and of all stripes, have expressed… concerns about the time and energy spent managing elections to bodies that won’t shortly exist, only to run an election a year later.’

In the Commons, Tory local government spokesman Paul Holmes said the Government had taken the decision because it was afraid of fighting elections.

He asked what the Government ‘has against democracy’, adding: ‘While many people gather around their screens to watch movies like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, we’re sitting here discussing how Labour is trying to steal the elections.

‘Earlier this month Labour cancelled mayoral elections because they were worried they wouldn’t win them. Now they are doing the same with local elections, pausing the democratic process to serve their own political interests, creating for themselves a true nightmare before Christmas.

‘This process has been a mess from start to finish. It’s time it was scrapped today.’

Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: ‘This is looking like yet another Labour and Conservative stitch-up to deny people their votes in May.’

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Aria Thorpe, 9, tragically died from a single stab wound at her home on Monday December 15 – a vigil was held in her home town of Weston-super-Mare on Thursday night

01:25, 19 Dec 2025Updated 01:28, 19 Dec 2025

A fundraiser has been set up following the death of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe(Image: Avon and Somerset Police / SWNS)

A family friend of a nine-year-old girl whow as allegedly murdered in her own home just days before Christmas has issued a heartfelt update.

Aria Thorpe died from a single stab wound at her home on the evening of Monday December 15. The community has been rallying around her family and friends and a vigil was held in her home town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, last night.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with her murder is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court today.

Members of public gather for a vigil in remembrance of nine-year-old girl Aria Thorpe(Image: William Dax / SWNS)

The fundraiser was created by a family friend Heather Prindiville, and just a day after being created, a JustGiving page has already more than doubled its initial £10,000 goal. Heather said the money will go towards covering costs to support Aria’s mum Victoria Hull and family during their grief.

She wrote: “As a close friend of the family and seeing first hand just how difficult the coming moments, days, weeks, months, and even years will be for them I just want to be able to do something to ease the road ahead.

“Tragedy has struck in the most unimaginable way and so close to Christmas. My beautiful friend Tori and her amazing family have lost their beautiful little girl Aria at what is supposed to be the most magical and loved filled time of year.

Aria Thorpe, who died following an incident in Weston-super-Mare on Monday(Image: PA)

“In the midst of it all while they’re learning how to breathe each moment I’d wholeheartedly like to take at least one worry away which she hasn’t even considered will be a worry.

“With the support of her family, I am trying to raise some funds for whatever comes up they will need, be it bills, housing, and most importantly space to heal without the added stress of having been away from work or any pressure to race back to it.

“Tori is a single mother and military veteran, she gives so much to everyone around her, her love, her support, her time, and she’s given her all to serve her country. I just want to give her the space to heal and to support her family to heal.”

After the total hit more than £20k on December 18, Heather posted an update and wrote: “When I started this page I wanted to aim for the sky, this family has a whole world to rebuild. I knew deep down that people, that humanity would blast my target and you continue to amaze me with your generosity! Thank you and keep sharing.”

The fundraiser has now reached over £27,000 from more than 1,300 donations.

Heather’s update comes just hours before the 15-year-old boy is due in court charged with Aria’s alleged murder.

A heartbreaking message on flowers near the scene in Lime Close, in the Mead Vale area of Weston-super-Mare,(Image: PA)

Aria celebrated her ninth birthday two weeks ago, having a Kpop party with her friends. She was described as a “lovely” and “sassy” youngster.

Weston-super-Mare MP Daniel Aldridge described Aria’s death as an “utterly heartbreaking tragedy”. He said: “My thoughts are with her family, friends, and everyone who knew her at this unimaginably difficult time.

“Nothing any of us can say will make this any easier for the family, but I know the relevant authorities are supporting them. Also, my office and I are here to support the family however they might need.

“This is a moment that will understandably shock and sadden us all, and I know many in our town will be grieving, anxious, and seeking answers. I urge everyone to respect the family’s privacy and avoid speculation while the police carry out their enquiries.”

To donate to the fundraising page click here.

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Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
What: English Premier League
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday December 20, at 5:30pm (17:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Click here to follow our live coverage.

Defending champions Liverpool will seek back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September when they visit Tottenham on Saturday, but the Reds’ woes are far from a distant memory.

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The pressure building on manager Arne Slot, who last year won the title in his first season in charge, was mounting after a run of nine defeats in 12.

The public fallout between the Anfield club and their star forward, Mohamed Salah, has overshadowed the Slot situation – but it has not gone away. Spurs similarly had a sticky run of six defeats in 10 games during October and November and it has hardly improved since.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that sees both managers concerned for their immediate futures.

What is the latest on Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future?

Salah has now departed for Egypt duty at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but it has not changed his situation at Anfield.

Ever since the 33-year-old claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by the Reds for their woeful season – after he was dropped to the bench for three consecutive games – rumours had been rife that his time on Merseyside was coming to an end.

The Saudi Pro League have made no secret of their desire to make a move for Salah, who was dropped from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League match in Milan following his outburst.

The forward did return to the bench for the visit of Brighton in the Premier League last week but his time away at AFCON is likely to be surrounded by speculation that the January transfer window will see a switch to Saudi Arabia.

What happened in Tottenham’s last game?

Tottenham were soundly beaten 3-0 at Nottingham Forest last Sunday, in a game that saw rumours of Thomas Frank’s demise as Spurs manager increase.

Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the first two goals for the home side before Ibrahim Sangare ended any hopes of a Spurs comeback in the 79th minute.

What happened in Liverpool’s last game?

Liverpool put aside the Salah saga and the speculation about Slot’s future with a 2-0 win against Brighton at Anfield last Saturday.

Hugo Ekitike scored both goals, the opener in the first minute of the match, while Salah was an early first-half substitute and assisted for the second from a corner kick.

Whether that was Salah’s last game as a Red remains to be seen.

How have Tottenham fared in the Premier League this season?

Tottenham began their Premier League campaign, Frank’s first in charge, with a run of only one defeat in their opening seven games. The North Londoners have since lost five of their last nine in the league.

The run of six defeats in 10, in all competitions, has been followed by two wins, and the defeat by Forest, in their last four in all competitions. It is just one win in seven, however, in the league – a run that has seen Spurs slip into the bottom half of the table.

How have Liverpool fared in the Premier League this season?

Liverpool won their opening seven games of the season in all competitions, excluding the preseason Community Shield defeat on penalties against Crystal Palace.

Four straight defeats followed, which began the run of nine defeats in 12. In Premier League terms, the Reds have only won three of 11 games – losing six. On the back of winning their first five league games of the season, the Anfield club have been able to hold onto a top-half position in the league, and they start the latest round of matches in seventh position – 10 points of leaders Arsenal, who travel to Everton Saturday evening.

How much pressure is on Tottenham manager Thomas Frank?

Tottenham lifted the UEFA Europa League last season, but that was not enough to stop Ange Postecoglou from being axed at the end of the campaign. The recent run of matches has resulted in huge pressure being placed on Frank.

The biggest rumour to mount has been that former Spain and Barcelona midfielder, Xavi, is being lined up to replace Frank.

Spurs have been renowned for being a sacking club, with Frank being the fifth permanent manager since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in 2019.

Should Frank be shown the door, his would not be the shortest tenure of a Spurs manager in recent times – Nuno Espirito Santo lasted only four months and two days during his 2021 stint in charge.

What happened the last time Tottenham played Liverpool?

Liverpool thumped Tottenham 5-1 in the Premier League at Anfield in April when the sides last met.

Dominic Solanke gave Spurs a 12th-minute lead before Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo responded for the Reds by the break.

Mohamed Salah and a Destiny Udogie own goal completed the rout in the second period.

What happened in the corresponding fixture between Tottenham and Liverpool last year?

It was a Premier League double for Liverpool last season as they won the first meeting of the last campaign with a nine-goal thriller at Tottenham on December 22.

The 6-3 win for the Reds saw Diaz and Salah both hit braces in a game where the away side led 3-1 at the break, and 5-1 by the 61st minute.

When did Tottenham last beat Liverpool?

Tottenham did actually manage to beat Liverpool last season in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal. The 1-0 home win wasn’t enough for Spurs, however, as the Reds had the last laugh, winning 4-0 in the return fixture at Anfield.

Lucas Bergvall scored the only goal in London, while the aggregate score was level at the break in the second leg after Gakpo’s first-half strike. Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk settled matters in the second period.

When did Tottenham last beat Liverpool in the Premier League?

Tottenham’s last league win against Liverpool came in September 2023, courtesy of a 2-1 home.

Curtis Jones saw red in the 26nd minute with Son Hueng-min netting Spurs’ first 10 minutes later.

Gakpo levelled for the Reds on the stroke of half-time but the second half went from bad to worse as Diogo Jota was given his marching orders in 69th minute before Joel Matip put through his own net in the final minute of the game.

Head-to-head

This is the 186th meeting between the sides, with Liverpool winning 90 times and Tottenham emerging victorious on 50 occasions.

The first match was in November 1909 on the old Division One (now the Premier League) with Spurs winning 1-0 in London. Liverpool won the return match that season 2-0 in March 1910.

Tottenham team news

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski are all injured, while Kota Takai and Radu Dragusin are still deemed short of match fitness as they make their returns from knocks.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are both at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning Frank is set to be without eight players for Liverpool’s visit.

Liverpool team news

Salah is the number one absentee for Liverpool, although the Egyptian did start the last four league games on the bench.

Cody Gakpo, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo are all injured while Conor Bradley is suspended.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Joe Gomez both picked up knocks in the Brighton game and are a doubt, but Jeremie Frimpong is close to a return following a hamstring injury.

Predicted Tottenham starting lineup

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison

Predicted Liverpool starting lineup

Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Chiesa, Jones, Wirtz; Ekitike

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TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with US and global investors to sell the majority of its business in America, TikTok’s boss told employees on Thursday.

Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive Shou Zi Chew.

The deal, which is set to close on 22 January, would end years of efforts by Washington to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.

The deal is ​line with one unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.

In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.

The White House referred the BBC to TikTok when contacted for comment.

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TikToksigned a deal on Thursday that sees 80% of its US assets sold to a group of three investors, Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX. The deal ensures the social media platform can continue operating in the United States.

The sale means TikTok will avoid a US government ban and remain available to more than 170 million people who use it in the United States, the company’s CEO Shou Zi Chew told ‍employees.

The company told employees on Thursday that ByteDance and TikTok signed binding agreements with Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form a new TikTok US joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. 

The joint venture will be 50% held by a consortium of new ‌investors, including Oracle, Silver ‌Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX with 15% each; 30.1% held by affiliates of existing investors of ByteDance; and 19.9% will be retained by ByteDance, the memo said, adding that it will have a new, seven-member majority-American board of directors and will “protect Americans’ data and US national security.”

The deal is set to close on January 22. The agreement would end years of uncertainty amid efforts to force ByteDance ​to divest its US business following multiple threats that it could be shut down for US national security reasons.

TikTok’s algorithm, which powers the short video platform’s video feed, will be retrained on US user data to “ensure the content feed is free from outside manipulation,” the memo said. The joint venture will also oversee content moderation and policies within the United States.

More to come on this developing news at dw.com

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